Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Gerd Willenberg
October 17, 2020 - 8:00 PM
A German man is continuing his haunted Halloween tradition in Canada after creating a large spooky house in Germany for the last 15 years.
Gerd Willenberg is collecting non-perishable food donations from everyone who visits his Halloween house in Blind Bay at 2490 Waverly Drive from now until Oct. 31. It’s open daily from 5 to 10 p.m. and allows visitors to explore a spooky outdoor setting complete with graveyards, ghouls and ghosts.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Gerd Willenberg
His Germany Halloween house, located in Hamm, saw 16,000 people last year within three weeks and raised roughly $65,000 for those in need. His Halloween house has been featured in various media outlets and gained a fair amount of attention back in his home country.
“Here I’m just starting. I have no stuff here, I sold everything in Germany,” he said. “I like to give joy to people. This is my thing for people.”
In Germany, he had lots of helpers, he said. This year, his Canadian home will be smaller, but no less scary.
READ MORE: Just in time for Halloween: The haunting of Brookside Manor in Kelowna
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Gerd Willenberg
Calling himself a perfectionist, Willenberg painted 6,000 light bulbs, that are currently displayed on the roof, by hand because he couldn’t find the colours he wanted.
Halloween decorations are harder to find in Germany than in Canada, he said, so it’s easier to get set up here, he said.
One of his favourites is an old lady with a skeleton dog in her lap and she rocks back and forth in her chair, he said.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Gerd Willenberg
Candy is being given out, and he will have social distancing measures in place to keep people apart, he said.
The house is being promoted on Facebook and through friends, he said.
READ MORE: B.C.'s Halloween celebrations are a go but there are some COVID-19 tips to keep in mind
To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2020